The Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming has already welcomed its first new member of 2012 with Jaime Caballero‘s Catalina Channel swim this April.

Who else will join this esteemed group of open water swimmers?

Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming club members are limited to those who complete crossings of the English Channel and Catalina Channel and a circumnavigation around Manhattan Island.

With Caballero’s swim, the exclusive club includes the following individuals:

1. Allison Streeter (UK)
2. Taranath Narayan Shenoy (India)
3. Rick Barthels (USA)
4. Bob West (USA)
5. Peter Urrea (USA)
6. Carol Sing (USA)
7. Antonio Argüelles (Mexico) (twice, in 1999 and 2009)
8. Nick Olmos-Lau (Mexico)
9. T. Scott Coleman (USA)
10. Rebecca Jackman (USA)
11. Kevin Murphy (UK)
12. Kathleen Wilson (USA)
13. Forrest Nelson (USA)
14. Andrew Hewitt (USA)
15. David Blanke (USA)
16. Elizabeth Fry (USA)
17. Marcia Cleveland (USA)
18. Bill Hoehn (USA)
19. Sally Minty-Gravett (Jersey Island, UK)
20. James Pittar (Australia) (shown above)
21. Scott Richards (USA)
22. Andrew ‘Alan’ Voisard (USA)
23. Tina Neil (USA)
24. Rendy Lynn Opdycke (USA)
25. Michelle Davidson (USA)
26. Michelle Macy (USA)
27. Tom Hecker (USA)
28. Erica Moffett (USA)
29. Nancy Steadman-Martin (USA)
30. Michael Miller (USA)
31. Nick Adams (UK)
32. Elaine Kornbau Howley (USA)
33. Stephen Autry (USA)
34. Jeffrey Cleveland (USA)
35. Sakura Hingley (UK)
36. Samantha Simon (USA)
37. Jim Barber (USA)
38. Craig Lenning (USA)
39. Mallory Mead (USA)
40. Dave Barra (USA)
41. Penny Palfrey (Australia)
42. Dan Richards (USA)
43. Tobey Saracino (USA)
44. Yesenia Cabrera (Guatemala)
45. Michael Renford (Australia)
46. Mo Siegel (USA)
47. Anthony Zamora (USA)
48. Brad McVetta (USA)
49. Jaime Caballero (Spain)

According to Dr. Scott Richards, San Diego’s Rendy Opdyke has the fastest turnaround of all three swims – in an incredibly short span of 35 days. Dave Barra completed his Triple Crown in less than 3 months and Alan Voisard completed his Triple Crown just over 3 months. Samantha Simon completed her in 11+ months and Dr. Richards completed his swims in 12 months and 16 days while the rest of the Triple Crowners completed their feat over the course of years.

Samantha Simon is the youngest (as a 20-year-old) member of the elite club while Jim Barber took 22 years to join the club.

Jason Zirganos of Greece swam the English Channel and Catalina Channel in the 1950s under authenticated circumstances and is reportedly to have swum around Manhattan Island, but this last swim was not authenticated by NYC Swim.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source